Chainless drive for bicycles



4 Sheecs-Sheet 2v ATTORNEYS c. l. HUssEY I CHAINLE'SS DRIVE FORA BICYCLES Filed June 2o, 1944 mw Nw QN WIIHWIH mw hw NN ww KN QN nunvs Mw @n A@ m QN WN u ||||i| Nw June 19, 1945.

June 19, 1945.

c. L. HUssEY `2,378,634

CHAINLEss DRIVE FOR BICYCLES 4 shets-sneet s, v

Filed June 2O 1944 Fg. y

INVENTOR ATTORNEYS June 19, 1945. c. L. HussEY CHAINLESS DRlVEv FOR BICYCLES 4 sheets-sheet' 4 Filed June 20, 1944 v INVENroR MW www ya. M4N m A f Patented June 19, 1945 2,373,634 f l komxINLEss DRIVE Fon BIOYCLES f I Chester L. Hussey, Belchertownl, lvlass.,4 assignor to'Savage Arms Corporatiom'yUtica, N. Y., a`

corporation of Delaware s PATENT oFFlcE Application June-20, 1944, Serial-No. 541,134 `1 claim. (ci. 28m-26o) This invention relates to an improved drive for chainless bicycles and has for its object a Vsimpliiied construction land organization of parts for producing such drive mechanism at relatively low cost and having many advantages as hereinafter pointed out.' f

Ank object of the invention is to provide in association with such a drive, a gearr change mechanism of simple and effective'construction for `obtaining different yspeed ratios of drive and vwherebyffthe gear drvemay be shifted .at Will during the -riding of thebicycle.

A particular feature ofimprovement resides in a special form of crank hanger or crank-case for housing the front part of the drive, which` crankcase in addition to providing for the interior mounting of `the gears and gear change mechanism is combined with the frame in such manner as topreserve a relativelynarrowtread for the bicycle, viz., a relatively short transverse distance between the crank pedals ofthe drive. f,

' Further objects and advantages will become l apparent from the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings which show a preferred embodiment of the invention and in which: I

Fig. lis a side elevation of so much of the bicycle as is necessary for an understandingvof the present invention; x f

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section through the drive alonglineZ-Z ofFig.1; y

Fig. 3 is a.A detail side view of the right rear bracket of the rear fork;

Fig. 4 is a detail front view of the same;

Fig. 5 is a detail side view of the left bracket oftherearforland e.

Fig. Gis a detailed side view of the crank case partly` broken away togshowsome of the inclosed parts. i y

Referringmore particularly to Fig. 1 of the Fig.r 2. The crankcase 9 is formed of two integral vparts,the'upper or main body forming part ofthe vmainframe asy described and a lower or segmental part 9a joined to the upper body along a horizontal seamby screws 9b and inside flange (not shown) y This lower part 9a of the housing with its integral sides and -bottom rim serves as an `oil pan or sump and-is removable for giving access to the interior of the crankcase in the assembly of the front drive mechanism therein.

Referring 'to Fig.'2 ofthe drawings, the crankshaft I0 is mountedl Within crankcase 9 by suitable ball bearings II and I2, the pedal cranks being indicated at I3 and I4. Fixed to `the crankshaft I0 and inclosed within the crankcase 9` is the front drive gear member I5. As shown this drive member l5 is mounted on the crankshaft centrally ofthe crankcase androtates sub'- stantially in the same.` plane as that of the rear wheel'of the bicycle, in other words at its center line.

' In the present embodiment the driving member is inthe form of a face gear dished slightly to the right from its hub to its rim and having on its right face' three concentrically disposed rings of gear teeth of different diameters.A The largest 'and outer gear ring is indicated at I6, the intermediate gear ring at I1, and the innermost and vsmallest gear` ring at I8. These several gear rings'on the face gear I5 are spaced apart as shown so that a pinion driven therefrom may be shifted from' mesh engagement with one ring into meshed engagement with the next ring and in passing from one to the next will not be en- 'gaged with either ring.

The drive shaft indicated at I9 extends rearwardly from the crankcase 9 through the tubular drawings the frame of the vbicycle comprises the usual top yhorizontal bar I, head 2, front diagonal bar 3, main stanchion bar 4, lower rear forkbars 5 and 6, and upper rear fork bars 'I and 8. At the lower central portion of the frame and forming an integrated part thereof, is an enlarged crank hanger 9 serving as a crankcase vhousing and bar5 of the lower rear fork to a rear drive connectionwithl the rearfwheel 2uA of the bicycle.

This .rear drive connectioncomprises a bevelled gear 2| xed to the rear end of drive shaft I9 and positioned at the rear of a bevel gear 22 for meshing engagement therewith. The bevelled gear 22 is connected with the khub 23 of the rear wheel either directly or through a coaster brake mechanism not shown. It will be understood that the hub 23 is mounted by suitable ball bearings on a rear axle 24. The rear axle 24 for the rear wheel 20 is carried in the brackets 25 and 2li at the right and left rear ends respectively of the rear wheel fork. The right hand bracket 26 is clamp fastened to the rearv end of lower fork tube 5 by bolt 21. This bracket 25 is formed on its inner or left side with a threaded socket 28 for receiving therein the threaded right hand end 29 of the rear axle 24. The rear side of bracket 25 houses a ball bearing vfor the rear end of drive shaft I9- and its bevel gear 2|. 'I'he left hand end of the axle 24 is mounted in a notch 30 of the left bracket 26, which bracket is permanently fixed to the lower rear fork bar 6. The upper rear fork bars l and 8 are detachably connected at their upper end by bolt 3l to the frame union 32 at the upper A,end `of stanchion 4.. These bars are also detachably connected at their lower ends, bar 1 by bolt 33 to the right bracket 25 and bar`8 by bolt 34 to the left bracket 26. Thus the upper rear fork bars 'l and 8 are `conzlple'tel-y `detachable from the bicycle and the purpose of this arrangement is to facilitate .theassemblyof the rear wheel into the frame. For example,

when the upper rear fork is removed, the rear axle and its assembled wheel may be 'placed 'between the lower rear fork and inclined .slightly .to enter its right threaded end 29 into the socket -28, before slipping the left end of said axle into its notch '30. `During kmanipulation 'the'bracket 25 `may be turned slightly by floosenmgits clamping 'bolt 121.

'The vfront .end of :drive shaft i9 .extends into the crankcase '9 rand ,has .a rsplined portion 1'35 upon which .is slidably keyed a 'pinion y36. Ball :bearings 31 and 538 within the crankcase are provided for `supporting "the :front :end '$5 1of said drive shaft '19. :The pinion '36 has for-.med Aatlone'side -thereof a grooved `collar .'39 *.into which engages the fork end 4D of a, shiftei-.mernber *where-by :said pinion 36 may be Aslidably adjusted upon the :splined end 35 for selective meshing engagement with `any one of the gear rings I6., ll'l., :and 18. As heretofore mentioned, the Vspace :between `the several :gearrings ,is slightly wider than the width "-of ,the @teeth lon .said pinion 316 `whereby the pinion in shifting .from one gear ring to the next will :be funmeshed for a smooth mon-cl-ashmg :reengagement in completing the shift.

As shown more particularly :in Fig. 6, there is mounted at the .upper `righi; Yhand :side .of `the crankca'se for sliding back 4and 'forth movement, a shifter member :4l in the form of a :dat lplate which is guided titslsliding movement `on studs .42 .and 43. At the rear end of said :shifter '4l and lbent at .right angles thereto is a :downwardly projecting for-k 40 which is in engagement with the grooved collar 39 of pinion 36 as previously described. A .spring Q44 anchored to the crankcase and connected to the shifter member V4l tends to 1pul-1 .the same rearwardly at all times for engaging the pinion 36 with the largest gear ring I6. This provides the :norma-l .highest .gear

drive for the bicycle. Connected to the .front lend of the yshifter .member 4l is la exible :cable 45 which extends through the front of the crankcase 9 and preferably guided through a portion of the diagonal tube bar to .a connection with fa manually operated .shift lever 46 mounted t.on 'the upper frame bar I as shown in Fig. 1. The shift lever 46 is pivotal at 41 on a suitably notched quadrant bracket 48 whereby said lever will be releasably locked in any one of three adjusted positions.

In Fig. 1 the lever 46 is shown in its rearmost position which corresponds to the foremost position of `the shift member .4.I and is for the lowest gear ratio drive. When a high gear drive is desired, lever 46 is released from its notch and the spring 44 will automatically shift the pinion 36 'into the next higher gear ratio drive. This gear lshift may be accomplished whether or not the bicycle vis in motion since the driving end or :crankshaft .Ill is .automatically declutched so to speak from the driven end of shaft I9 during the shift of pinion 36. The use of an ordinary coaster "brake with 'a -free wheel clutch will also facilitate the .shifting of gears since both the crank shaft l0 and drive shaft I9 may be held stationary at will -whlilethe bicycle is in motion.

iff-claim: v

"In 'a chainless drive 'bicycle in combination, the main frame Withits .front and 'rear Wheels, said `,frame vcomprising Ias an integrated 'part *thereof at its lower central portion, an enlarged symmetrica'lly positioned crankcase housing, a forward diagonal `'tube Amember joined to the rim of said housing at the front thereof, 'a vertical stanchion lmember joined to the 'rim yof said housing at the top thereof and a pair of rear wheel fork tube members extending 'rearwardly from said housing, a crankshaft mounted in said housing, .a relatively Vflarge face gear fixed to 'said crankvshaft and positioned centrally within said housing for rotation Tin :substantially thesame plane as .said .rear wheel, said face gear comprising -a plurality :of concentric gear rings, -a drive shaft extending longitudinally through oneof said rear fork Atubemembers and into said housing, :a relatively small lpinion splined on the forward end of said drive shaft within said 'housing and slidably adjustable thereon for meshing engagement lwith anyone of Isaid gear rings, 1a lgear driving connection Vbetween the rear 'end of said ldrive shaft and said rear wheel, a gear shifter vmember movably 4mounted fon :said housing within the same and having means .engaging said lpinion for shifting the same in and out of mesh with said different gear rings, :a spring mounted 'within said housing tending to move said shifter member and its en- ".fgaged pinion in one direction, va'flexible cable connected to said shifter member for moving it in the opposite direction, said cable extending from within said housing upwardly through the inside of said forward diagonal tube, :and a mannally opera-ted member mounted yon the upper part =of -said main iframe .to -which said v'cable is connected.

CHESTER L. .HUSSEY 

